Penn State Libraries Now Offering Off-Campus Pickup and Return Location

Penn State University Libraries is offering a new off-campus library borrowing and return service for University Park and the State College area.

The university’s Library Annex II, located at 3110 Research Drive near the CATA Bus Depot in Cato Park, provides a daytime option during the work week for library users, including community members, to pickup requested library materials without needing to go on campus. A book-return bin outside the building is accessible 24 hours a day for depositing borrowed items.

“We have opened this new service location to give off-campus students, faculty, staff and local residents an easy-access location to pick up and return books, including leisure reading titles, multimedia resources and other items available to borrow through the University Libraries,” Verne Neff, University Libraries Annex manager, said in a news release. “We realized we had an opportunity to use one of our existing facilities to add an alternative pickup and return location for our library users who may otherwise find coming to Pattee Library and Paterno Library or our branch libraries less convenient.”

Pickup hours are 8:30 a.m.to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Staff provide building access to the public during those hours via doorbell request at the front entrance.

Penn State faculty, staff and students as well as all Pennsylvania residents have borrowing privileges with the University Libraries, but a valid Penn State ID or resident borrowers card must be presented when borrowing materials.

Pennsylvania residents can register for a borrowers card with the University Libraries by first creating a Penn State Account, which tracks items borrowed and allows residents access to digital library resources on site at any Penn State library university-wide. Once the account has been confirmed, residents can bring their Penn State Account ID and a Pennsylvania driver’s license or resident ID card to any Penn State library to complete registration and receive a borrowers card.

Penn State employee and student ID cards — physical or mobile — serve as their library borrowers cards.

When users request items through the University Libraries website by clicking on the “I Want It” button, they are prompted to select the location where they wish to have their items directed for pickup. To direct items to the Annex, library users should select “Cato Park Library Annex II, 3110 Research Dr., State College, PA” from the dropdown menu as the pickup location. 

Once items have been delivered to the designated location, users will receive an email notification for each requested item that is available for pickup.